Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu officially announces intention to run again in local elections in March 2024

In a recent development related to Turkish politics, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has officially announced his intention to run for mayor in the upcoming local elections scheduled for March 2024. His announcement came during a press conference held in Istanbul, where he expressed his commitment to serving the city and its residents once again, emphasizing his track record of equal service over the past four years.

The announcement follows a period of speculation about Imamoglu’s political ambitions, including whether he would contend for the leadership of Turkey’s main opposition party. In his speech, Imamoglu clarified that he had no plans to vie for the main opposition leadership at present. However, he indirectly linked the success of his party in the local elections to the resignation of the current party leader, Kemal KILICDAROGLU.

Imamoglu highlighted the need for a comprehensive transformation within his party, ranging from its leadership to grassroots members. He expressed his disappointment with the outcomes of the May 2023 elections and criticized the party’s failure to take responsibility for the defeat. This criticism was seen as a veiled reference to KILICDAROGLU’s leadership.

KILICDAROGLU HAD LOST AGAINST ERDOGAN WITH A SMALL VOTE DIFFERENCE

KILICDAROGLU who narrowly lost the presidential elections to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has maintained that he would remain in his position as the leader of the opposition party. He framed the election results as not a “defeat” but as a situation where they “couldn’t win.”

Imamoglu also highlighted that the transformation of his party would be a significant mission in his political journey. Opinion polls leading up to the critical May polls had indicated that Imamoglu had a stronger lead than KILICDAROGLU. However, it’s worth noting that Imamoglu had faced legal challenges, including a court decision that sentenced him to over two years in jail and imposed a political ban. This decision was criticized as politically motivated and aimed at preventing Imamoglu from running against Erdogan. The enforcement of the ruling is pending appeal.

POLITICAL ALLIANCE BETWEEN GOOD PARTY AND CHP SEEMS TO HAVE WEAKENED

Furthermore, the political alliance between the nationalist Good (Iyi) Party and the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which had supported Imamoglu’s election as Istanbul Mayor in the 2019 elections, appears to have weakened following the May 2023 elections.

In summary, Imamoglu’s announcement of his reelection bid as Istanbul Mayor has added further complexity to Turkey’s political landscape, highlighting tensions within the main opposition party and the broader challenges facing the party as it prepares for the upcoming local elections.